Congratulations on your engagement! It is a time for basking in the love of your significant other…and it is the time most women start to stress out over the details and the overwhelming and daunting task of planning a wedding. Having photographed over 35 weddings and worked as a wedding planner prior to that, I can attest to the fact that hiring a planner makes the whole process so much more enjoyable, especially on the day of the wedding. The last thing a bride needs to stress over while she’s being pampered and nervously awaiting the walk down the aisle, is whether or not the flowers will arrive on time, or if the officiant is stuck in traffic. This is the day most women have been dreaming of since they were  little girls, so why not pay just a little extra money to enjoy this once in a lifetime experience to its’s fullest?

Time: Our most important commodity is time. If you take into account how much time goes into researching venues, vendors, ideas, guest lists, etc…you are talking hours upon hours. Let’s not forget meeting with the different vendors and making endless decisions. Not only does a planner take some of these mundane and time-consuming tasks off your hands, but they also help guide your decision-making process in the right direction, based on your needs.

Budget: Despite the fact that you are shelling out a little extra money up front, you are also paying for a bookkeeper of sorts. A good planner can take your budget and break it down and prioritize were money gets allotted. A great planner can actually pay for themselves buy getting the best deals on venues and vendors that they already have great relationships with. In the end, she may actually save you money.

 Stress Manager: This one should really go to the very top of the list. Often the hardest part of being an engaged couple is planning the wedding. Hiring a wedding planner allows you to delegate all those tasks, research, and communication to an experienced professional. It also alleviates that deer in headlights feeling, when thinking about all those decisions (i.e.)…color schemes, photographer choices, venue choices, dining style, etc… A good planner will listen to all your ideas, overall style, and personality and help guide your decisions. Often just having them narrowing down the choices can help tremendously. If planning a wedding sounds like something you can’t wait to do, then I suggest just hiring a day of coordinator. Someone who can be there the day of your wedding, and make sure that everyone is doing exactly the tasks they’ve been given.

  Ideas: Ok, I know that so many of us women, already have sugarplum fairies in our heads when it comes to our wedding day….but that’s a far cry from reality. There are many ideas that just aren’t feasible and some that just need a bit of massaging to bring to fruition.  Then there are women such as myself, that really hasn’t been planning a dream wedding all their life. After attending as many weddings as I have, I’d have way too many ideas, while others might just not know where to start…and that is where a planner steps in. They can help advise which ideas are best for your specific needs and desires.

Vendor Recommendations: This is a big one! Most brides they are planing blind. There are thousands of photographers, videographers, caterers, DJs and florists to choose from. So what do you do? Just google it and choose whomever is on the first couple of pages, research reviews, ask friends and family…? All of these are viable options, but choosing someone you or someone you know trusts fully is always the best bet. A planner will know a lot of different vendors, with different styles, they can help you choose which vendor will fit your style and needs best.